| ext">Think about it: the wine-hued canyons of | | | | Museum allows you to explore an 800 year-old |
| Lake Powell...the Ponderosa pines of the Coconino | | | | Hohokam platform mound or you can stroll the |
| National Forest...the red rocks of Sedona...the | | | | grounds and check out a Hohokam excavated |
| soaring Santa Catalina peaks...Arizona is definitely | | | | ballcourt and full-scale reproductions of prehistoric |
| ready, willing and able to fit right into a variety of | | | | Hohokam homes. The site also includes some of |
| lifestyles. For example, the state enjoys a wealth | | | | the last remaining intact Hohokam irrigation canals. |
| of hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, touring, | | | | For a more contemporary -- let’s say |
| swimming, river rafting and both water- and | | | | 1800’s -- Old West experience, book a |
| snow-skiing. In addition, amazing examples of | | | | stay at one of the state’s dude ranches |
| Mother Nature in Arizonas real estate are | | | | or visit historic Tombstone, where many buildings |
| abundant, including one of the Seven Wonders | | | | have bullet holes and there are daily shootouts at |
| of the World — the Grand Canyon | | | | the O.K. Corral. If your munchkins are more |
| — as well as forests of statuesque | | | | rambunctious, kids can be as rowdy as they like |
| saguaro cacti, magnificent caverns and even the | | | | at such Western town replicas as Rawhide near |
| 550-foot-deep Meteor Crater. | | | | Phoenix and Old Tucson Studios, where many |
| Meanwhile, the Phoenix Zoo and Tucson’s | | | | classic cowboy films were made. |
| Reid Park Zoo are both excellent places for a | | | | With so many outdoor classrooms, the wide open |
| family day-trip, as is the Out of Africa Wildlife | | | | real estate of Arizona offers numerous science |
| Park, near Camp Verde. And for distinctly natural | | | | and history lessons. At Petrified Forest National |
| habitats, it’s hard to beat Tucson’s | | | | Park, you can see dinosaur bones and pieces of |
| huge Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, while | | | | the trees that grew when dinosaurs roamed the |
| mostly critter-free but filled with indigenous plant | | | | area. The living cave system at Kartchner |
| life are Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden | | | | Caverns State Park was kept secret by its |
| and Tucson’s Sabino Canyon, which | | | | discoverers for years so it wouldn’t be |
| includes a tram ride to the top. | | | | spoiled and Tucson’s Colossal Cave is so |
| For a taste of the REALLY Old West, Deer Valley | | | | big it’s never been fully explored. If you |
| Rock Art Center is a great place to ponder the | | | | don’t have claustrophobia, you can even |
| mysteries of ancient Native American | | | | go underground and tour the Queen Mine in |
| artwork...and it’s located right off the Loop | | | | Bisbee. |
| 101 in north Phoenix, just a hop, skip and jump | | | | When it comes to night skies, among the places |
| from Scottsdale. Or you could visit the Pueblo | | | | where you can peer through telescopes are the |
| Grande Museum, which is the site of 1,500 | | | | Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Kitt Peak National |
| year-old Hohokam village ruins located inside the | | | | Observatory west of Tucson and the Flandrau |
| Phoenix city limits. Spread across 102 acres, the | | | | Science Center and Planetarium in Tucson. |